All posts tagged Race

Even the fantasy world of “Game of Thrones” isn’t immune to scrutiny when it comes to racial diversity. In response to a recent fan’s comment on his blog, George R.R. Martin has promised some “characters of color” in his upcoming “The Winds of Winter,” the next book in “A Song of Ice and Fire.”

The fan, who identified herself as an African-American female, wrote in a comment titled “I Love GOT but the lack of diversity really hurts”: “So far in the series there has only been one black woman with a speaking role and while i love that she’s getting a romantic storyline too but that hasn’t been enough for me.” The reader went on to say that she hoped to dress as “someone other than Black Daenerys for a change.”

Today, NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous today announced he would step down from his position with the civil rights organization on December 31, 2013. He wrote this essay on his take on the future of race relations for the Wall Street Journal.

In his 1869 speech “Our Composite Nationality,” Frederick Douglass laid out a bold vision for American democracy that has propelled the civil rights movement ever since:

“Our geographical position, our relation to the outside world, our fundamental principles of Government… our vast resources… and our already existing composite population, all conspire to one grand end, and that is to make [America] the most perfect national illustration of the unity and dignity of the human family, that the world has ever seen.”

As I prepare to move on from my role as President and CEO of the NAACP, I continue to believe that we are on the cusp of realizing Douglass’ vision. The question is how we will get there. Read More »

A judge has tossed out racial discrimination claims in a lawsuit against Paula Deen. According to the Associated Press the ruling will not have an impact on plaintiff Lisa T. Jackson’s lawsuit alleging sexual harassment against Deen’s brother, Earl W. Hiers, a.k.a. Bubba. In his ruling, U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. wrote that Jackson, who is white, “is an accidental victim of the alleged racial discrimination. There are no allegations that defendant Hiers’s racially offensive comments were either directed toward plaintiff or made with the intent to harass her.” A lawyer for Deen told the Associated Press, “We are pleased with the court’s ruling today that Lisa Jackson’s claims of race discrimination have been dismissed.” Deen’s publicist Elana Weiss said in a statement, “As Ms. Deen has stated before, she is confident that those who truly know how she lives her life know that she believes in equal opportunity, kindness and fairness for everyone.” Over the last few months, Deen has experienced an exodus of corporate sponsorship after allegations of racism surfaced in the wake of the lawsuit and Deen admitted she previously used a racial slur. A representative for Deen did not immediately return a request for comment. Jackson’s lawyer Matthew Billips had no comment. Read More »

There was a reunion of sorts this weekend as comic Damon Wayans took in playwright David Mamet’s provocative Broadway show “Race,” which stars fellow “In Living Color” funnyman David Alan Grier.

“Race,” which opens tonight, has a lot in common with “In Living Color.” The show is savagely funny, unafraid of slaughtering sacred cows, and relentlessly explores America’s preconceptions about and preoccupation with skin color. Wayans and Grier performed such sketches as “Men on Film” on “In Living Color,” which ran on the Fox Network from 1990-1994. Wayans attended the Saturday night performance of “Race.” Read More »

It’s hard to miss the subject matter of David Mamet’s pointedly-titled new play, “Race,” which began rehearsals Tuesday and opens on Broadway in December. The plot, however, is another matter. In various interviews, the playwright has revealed the drama concerns a law firm made of up of three lawyers — played by James Spader, David Alan Grier and Kerry Washington — who are “offered the chance to defend a white man charged with a crime against a black young woman,” but not much else. (According to the New York Post, the focal crime is rape.) At a recent press event at Mamet’s Atlantic Theater Company in downtown Manhattan (where, naturally, black-and-white cookies were served), Speakeasy tried to get the cast to open up more about their roles.

Richard Thomas (a.k.a. “John-Boy” from “The Waltons”), who plays the mysterious would-be defendant, refused to confirm or deny the nature of his character, other than to say he was playing a “rich man in a lot of trouble. Maybe.” First given the play back in the spring, he denies that Mamet is being coy by keeping a tight lid on the storyline, saying the three-scene drama is “too complex to be reduced to a single summarization. Basically imagine what you can’t normally say about race and it’s in there.”

James Spader, who spent five years playing kooky lawyer Alan Shore on the TV series “Boston Legal,” was equally tight-lipped, talking in circles and ruminating on the nature of race, noting that the play provided a satisfying way to talk about the subject in a frank manner. “That’s why [Mamet's] been so cautious about discussion of the play,” he noted. “Provocation works best when it’s freshly absorbed.” Read More »

About Speakeasy

Speakeasy is a blog covering media, entertainment, celebrity and the arts. The publication is produced by Barbara Chai and Jonathan Welsh with contributions from the Wall Street Journal staff and others. Write to us at speakeasy@wsj.com or follow us on Twitter at @WSJSpeakeasy or individually @barbarachai.